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There’s something about a really good sugar cookie that just sticks with you. Not the overly sweet, overly soft kind, but the kind that’s simple, buttery, just a little crisp at the edges, and somehow better with a cup of coffee than you expected. These are those cookies.
They lean classic, but the almond extract gives them that subtle, almost nostalgic bakery flavor that makes people pause mid-bite and go, wait…what is that? They’re easy, reliable, and the kind of cookie you end up making on repeat without even meaning to.
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Why These Are the Best Sugar Cookies
These cookies are simple in the best way. There’s no chilling, no complicated steps, just a dough that comes together easily and rolls out beautifully. They hold their shape, bake up tender with lightly crisp edges, and have that soft almond-vanilla flavor that feels just a little extra without trying too hard.
Ingredient Notes
- The almond extract is the standout flavor here, subtle but noticeable. It gives these cookies that bakery-style taste.
- The vanilla extract rounds everything out and keeps the flavor balanced.
- Measure the flour carefully. These cookies are very suceptable to becoming dry and stiff if they have too much flour.
- The milk helps the sugar topping stick and gives the cookies a soft, slightly glossy finish.
- The coarse sugar on top adds texture and some unexpected crunch.
Step-By-Step Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit and line four baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream the butter and sugar together for about 2 minutes, until the mixture becomes nice and smooth, but avoid-over mixing and adding too much air. The butter and sugar shouldn’t be whipped.
- Add the egg, almond extract, and vanilla extract and continue mixing for an additional minute, just until incorporated.
- In a separate bowl, quickly whisk the flour and sea salt together.
Tip
If you want to save a bowl, you can add the flour directly to the butter mixture and sprinkle the salt over the top before mixing it with the mixer.
- Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until the dough becomes crumbly. Then, using your hands, work the dough together to form a smooth ball. Because this recipe makes a large dough ball that’s cumbersome, divide the dough into two parts for easier handling and rolling.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out each portion of dough to an 1/8 inch (or 6mm) thickness using an adjustable rolling pin. Cut out as many cookies as possible per roll, flouring the surface as needed to prevent sticking. This dough doesn’t require any chilling, so after mixing, you’re ready to go.
- Place the cut-out cookies on the prepared baking sheets. Then gently brush the top of each cookie with milk using a pastry brush, and sprinkle with a mix of a large granule sugar and sparkling sugar for a touch of sweetness and a sparkling visual appeal.
- Bake the cookies for 10 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through to ensure even baking. The cookies shouldn’t be brown at all, but the centers should be set. If they are browning take them out.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Once they’re cooled, store the cookies in an airtight container for 3-4 days or freeze them for up to 3 months.
Recipe Tips & Notes
- Don’t overbake these cookies. They should stay light in color with just-set centers.
- If the dough feels crumbly at first, that’s normal, use your hands to bring it together.
- Roll evenly to keep baking consistent across all cookies.
- If you prefer a more classic flavor, omit almond extract and increase vanilla to 1 tablespoon.
- You can use sprinkles instead of sugar, a combination of the two, or even buttercream frosting if you prefer. These cookies can handle pretty much anything.
Storage Instructions
Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3–4 days. For longer storage, freeze baked cookies for up to 3 months and thaw at room temperature before eating or frosting.
Don’t Miss These Other Christmas Cookies
Almond Vanilla Sugar Cookies
These vanilla almond sugar cookies are buttery, tender, and lightly crisp at the edges with a soft, bakery-style flavor. The combination of vanilla and almond extract makes them stand out from classic sugar cookies. Easy to roll, cut, and bake, they’re perfect for everyday baking or holiday trays.
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 egg
- 2 tsp almond extract
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 1/4 cup flour (weighed – 406.25 grams)
- 2 TBS milk (any kind, for brushing the tops of the cookies)
- Extra sugar and sparkling sugar (for sprinkling)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit and line 4 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together with an electric mixer for 2 minutes, until smooth.1 cup unsalted butter, 1 cup sugar
- Add the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract and continue mixing for another minute.1 egg, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 2 tsp almond extract
- In a separate bowl, weigh the flour and whisk in the sea salt.3 1/4 cup flour, 1 tsp sea salt
- Add the flour to the butter mixture and mix until crumbly.
- Using your hands, work the dough together to form a nice smooth ball and separate dough into two parts.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to a 1/4 inch thickness (6mm) using an adjustable rolling pin (second largest size on the Joseph Joseph) and cut out as many cookies as possible per roll. Flour the dough and the surface as needed between each roll out.
- Place cut out cookies on a lined baking sheet. They don't spread much, so you can get several per sheet, depending on the size of your cut outs.
- After cutting out all the cookies, using a pastry brush, gently brush the top of each cookie with milk (any kind), and sprinkle the tops with a mix of large granule sugar and sparkling sugar or sugar sprinkles.2 TBS milk, Extra sugar and sparkling sugar
- Bake cookies for 10 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. Cookies should not be brown, but the centers should be set.
- Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for several minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Store cookies in an airtight container for 3-4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Notes
- Don’t overbake. These cookies should be set, not browned.
- Dough may seem crumbly; use your hands to bring it together.
- Roll evenly (1/4-inch) for consistent baking.
- Brush with milk so sugar sticks and adds a light crunch.
- For a classic flavor, omit almond extract and use 1 tablespoon vanilla.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 cookieCalories: 111kcalCarbohydrates: 14gProtein: 1gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 18mgSodium: 68mgPotassium: 17mgFiber: 0.3gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 165IUVitamin C: 0.002mgCalcium: 5mgIron: 1mg
I am a terrible sugar cookie baker by history. But I saw these pretty cookies and had to try them. I can’t believe it, but it worked! My husband said the cookies taste really good too. I may save this recipe FOREVER!
Hi Tabitha! I’m so happy to hear this and I’m being totally honest when I say, this is truly one of my favorites. I make these cookies several times a year for different holidays with different sprinkles. So glad they were a yummy success!
Whipped up a batch of these for Christmas cookie trays, and they do not disappoint! Light yet flavorful; will make great gifts this year, thanks!
Thank you so much, Sara! So glad to hear you enjoyed the cookies and yes, they make beautiful gifts! Happy Holidays!
These almond sugar cookies turned out delicious and just as pretty as the pictures. They are a great addition to our holiday cookie tray!
Thank you so much, Lauren! I’m glad to hear you enjoyed the cookies too!
The almond flavor really makes these sugar cookies great. This recipe is one of my favorites by far. Thanks, Kristine!
You are most welcome, Lisa! I’m so glad to hear you love the cookies too! I make them several times a year myself, haha!
I’m so glad I found your site. These cookies are beautiful and delicious. Thanks for sharing them!
You bet, Nancy! I’m thrilled you made, and loved the cookies. Thanks for taking a minute to leave a review, I really appreciate it!
This recipe is perfect. I LOVE how my cookies held their shape because this is always a challenge for me. The taste was delicious and I like that hint of almond. I used large white sanding sugar which made them very glittery!
Thank you so much, Cyndy! I’ve had trouble in the past too, which prompted me to create a recipe that was fail-safe. So glad to hear the cookies worked well for you and that you enjoyed them! Happy Holidays!
I love these snowflake cookie cutters! I want!
Hi Ann! Thank you so much! The larger one is from the dollar section at Target (this year) and the smaller one is part of a 3 set of nesting snowflakes I found at Joann Fabric (also this year) and they’re both on sale! Happy Baking!
I am not much of a seasonal baker, but I don’t think I want to stay away from making this pretty cookie. Love it.
Thank you so much Seema! I’m so glad you enjoyed the cookies!
These smell like absolute heaven! I love almond flavor so much!
Awww thank you so much, Naelle! Me too, it’s the best smell ever. Thanks for taking a minute to comment, I really appreciate it! Happy Holidays!
These cookies are the cutest and so festive! I was planning on making them for our holiday party and ended up making a small batch at home first. They turned amazing!
I’m so glad to hear it, Artney! They are a fun one to make (and eat), for sure. Happy Holidays!
I can’t wait to try these almond vanilla cookies! I wonder what the taste would be if sprinkled with vanilla sugar?
I chilled the dough for about 2 hours before rolling/cutting/baking. Chefs kiss!
I made a couple batches of these and cut them out last night, but I did notice a lot of them have air bubbles though. I’m wondering what may have caused this. I did use a stand mixer to mix the dough, but I followed the timing recommendations, precisely as far as how long to cream the butter and sugar, etc.
The cookies taste good and they don’t spread a lot so I do like the recipe overall but I’m just a bit concerned about the air bubbles.
Hi Sarah! That’s definitely odd—I’ve actually never had that happen, but I don’t usually use a stand mixer. That’s the only thing I can think of, is that it incorporated more air than a hand mixer. I’ll do some testing with mine and see. Thanks for the feedback, it’s really helpful!
I made these cookies for a second time and creamed the butter and sugar for a little less time than the first round and just made sure that I only mixed things until they were fully incorporated.
They turned out great! My coworkers said they melt in your mouth. They also stay soft and fresh for days when stored in an airtight container. Very flavorful with the extra almond extract. Definitely will make these again!